Hecameg is a type of alkyl polyglycoside surfactant with an amphiphilic structure, which can reduce the intermolecular contacts that lead to aggregation[1]. Hecameg has a relatively high critical micelle concentration (16.5mM), which is almost unaffected by changes in pH or ionic strength, and is suitable for the reconstitution process that requires the removal of detergents through dialysis[2]. Hecameg is an effective lipid solubilizer, which can cause the leakage of the contents within the vesicles [2]. Hecameg has been widely used to extract bacterial rhodopsin from the purple membrane of the Halobacterium halobium, and the extraction form remains unmodified[3]. Hecameg is used to solubilize spiralin protein from the Spiroplasma melliferum membrane, without detectable loss of antigenic properties[3].
References:
[1] Hierrezuelo J M, Nieto-Ortega B, Ruiz C C. Assessing the interaction of Hecameg® with Bovine Serum Albumin and its effect on protein conformation: A spectroscopic study[J]. Journal of luminescence, 2014, 147: 15-22.
[2] Ruiz M B, Prado A, Goñi F M, et al. An assessment of the biochemical applications of the non-ionic surfactant Hecameg[J]. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Biomembranes, 1994, 1193(2): 301-306.
[3] Plusquellec D, Chevalier G, Talibart R, et al. Synthesis and characterization of 6-O-(N-heptylcarbamoyl)-methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside, a new surfactant for membrane studies[J]. Analytical biochemistry, 1989, 179(1): 145-153.